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Gov. Hochul’s father, Jack Courtney, dies at 87
By
Jon Campbell
Published Oct 19, 2023
Modified Oct 19, 2023
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Photo by Kevin P. Coughlin / Office of the Governor
By
Jon Campbell
Published Oct 19, 2023
Modified Oct 19, 2023
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New York Gov. Kathy Hochul’s father died of an brain hemorrhage in Florida on Wednesday, while the governor was on a three-day solidarity mission in Israel.
John “Jack” Courtney was 87 years old, according to the governor’s office.
Hochul, a Democrat, said she learned her father had fallen ill while she was flying to Tel Aviv from John F. Kennedy International Airport early Wednesday. She said she had just spoken to him right before departing.
"I literally talked to him from the JFK terminal," Hochul told reporters on a Zoom call Thursday from Jerusalem. "Talked to him in his rough Irish way when he said, 'I'm proud of you dolly, but keep your goddamn head down.' And so that's how my dad talked."
Hochul frequently tells the story of her father’s journey in the workforce, starting with his employment at a Buffalo-area steel plant while attending college with infant children at home — including the future governor.
Courtney eventually left for a job at a then-fledgling IT company, Computer Task Group Inc., in 1968, where he steadily rose within the ranks and eventually became the company's president. He retired in 1993, according to the Buffalo News.
“College education lifted my family up,” Hochul said at an event last month. “My father and mom lived in a trailer park. Dad worked at a steel plant, but dad went to school at night with a couple of babies at home. I was one of them. Got a college degree. Next thing we know, our lives are changed forever.”
Speaking to reporters, Hochul said her father and mother — Patricia Courtney, who died in 2014 — were "social activists" who fought to integrate neighborhoods and opposed the Vietnam War in the 1960s.
"My dad instilled in me and our family — and my mother was right at his side, the two of them did this together — a strong sense of responsibility to others," Hochul said.
Courtney was the father of six children in all, with the governor being the second oldest. He traveled to Albany to witness his daughter’s inauguration in 2021, and was sitting in the front row as Hochul took a ceremonial oath of office in the Capitol's ornate Red Room.
On Thursday in Jerusalem, Hochul visited the Western Wall, where she left a handwritten note that referenced her father's passing. She tucked the note into a crack in the wall, as is tradition.
Hochul informed her staff shortly before the visit to the sacred space, according to a pool report.
“I pray for my father, who cherished his visit to this Holy Land, and who passed during the night,” Hochul wrote in her note.
Hochul is scheduled to return to the United States on Friday. As of Thursday afternoon, there had been no immediate announcement about funeral services for Courtney.
"My dad had a big influence on my life," Hochul said.
This story has been updated with additional information.
Tagged
Kathy Hochul
new york state
Politics
Jon Campbell
Jon Campbell covers the New York State Capitol for WNYC and Gothamist. Prior to that, he covered the Capitol for more than a decade for the USA TODAY Network. He has twice earned the Walter T. Brown Memorial Award, an honor given annually by the Legislative Correspondents Association alumni for outstanding state government coverage. Jon grew up in the Buffalo area and graduated from the University at Albany. Got a tip? Email Jon at [email protected] or Signal at JonCampbellNY.90.
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